Pizza Crust

Does the pizza delivery person know the route to your house by heart? With this easy recipe, you can bypass the pizzeria and pull together a piping hot, from-scratch pizza almost as quickly as it takes to get one delivered—using your own homemade pizza dough.MORE+LESS-

Steps

Hide Images

1

In large bowl, mix 1 cup of the flour, the sugar, salt and yeast. Add 3 tablespoons oil and the warm water. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in enough of the remaining flour until dough is soft and leaves side of bowl. Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead 5 to 8 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rest 30 minutes.

2

For Thin Crusts: Heat oven to 425°F. Grease two flat cookie sheets or 12-inch pizza pans with oil. Divide dough in half. Pat each half into 12-inch circle on one of the cookie sheets. Partially bake 7 to 8 minutes or until crusts just begin to brown. Add desired toppings; bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. For Thick Crusts: Grease two 8-inch square pans, or two 9-inch round pans with oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Divide dough in half. Pat each half in bottom of one of the pans. Cover loosely with clean kitchen towel; let dough rise in warm place 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size. Move oven racks to lowest positions. Heat oven to 375°F. Partially bake 20 to 22 minutes or until crust just begins to brown. Add desired toppings; bake about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Expert Tips

Bread flour is higher in protein per cup than all-purpose flour. That protein becomes gluten when a liquid is mixed into the flour and it’s kneaded. The gluten provides the structure for a yeast dough as it releases gas and rises in the oven.

If you’d like a grainier crust, sub in half whole-wheat flour for the white flour. Knead the dough for the full 8 minutes, until very smooth and springy.

Exchanges:

Carbohydrate Choice

2

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

Don’t be intimated by the prospect of making your own pizza dough. This easy pizza dough recipe will be just as good as buying premade dough from the grocery store, and it’s so much fresher than ordering a pizza delivery. If you’re cooking for a family, get the kids in on the act by allowing them to learn how to make pizza dough along with you. They’ll have fun patting out the dough, adding their favorite toppings and eating their own customized creations. Whether you’re a thin crust family or a thick-crust family, we’ve got you covered with tips and tricks for each pizza style. Check out Betty’s best pizza recipes for more time-tested favorites and fun new twists on the traditional pizza dough recipe.